Interdisciplinary Method to Analyze Historical Water Resource Management Systems: The Case Study of Masseria del Cristo in Matera, Italy

Abstract

The rural architecture of Matera preserves important traces of the historical heritage represented by integrated water resources management systems, which contributed to the inscription of the city on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List in 1993. The need to guarantee water supply led to theoretical and practical knowledge aimed at sustainable management of resources, both within the urban fabric of the Sassi and along the historical routes of transhumance. The farmhouse known as Masseria del Cristo, in the countryside of Matera, bears historical evidence of this heritage, unlike what is observable in urban areas due to the significant transformations undergone in recent decades. Excavated cisterns, settling tanks, dug channels and a semi-excavated cistern with a roof were detected through photogrammetric processes and represented through 3D digital models that are freely consultable online. Through the analysis of this specific case study, the contribution proposes an interdisciplinary multiscale method to investigate the relationship between historical water systems and the geomorphological and hydrological context in which said systems are located. The results of this process provide a solid starting point to guide proper practices for the protection, recovery and enhancement of this historical heritage.